Procurement built around the rhythm of school life
Three ways to work with us — from a one-off spend review to ongoing fractional procurement support. Every engagement is designed around your school's needs, not a corporate template.
Financial Health Check
A full picture of where your money goes
£5–10k (fixed cost, depending on data volume and format)
A complete category review based on your current spend. This is a desktop exercise using procurement methodology, existing benchmarking data, and market knowledge both inside and outside of education. The output is a detailed report covering your spend by category, current supplier base, complexity, and invoice volume.
At a glance
- Approximately 3–4 weeks to complete, depending on data volumes
- Sample invoices requested at the midpoint for specific suppliers or GL codes
- Not a benchmark against other schools — a review of your own spend
- Best when there is little or no knowledge of current spend and opportunities, or after a gap of two or more years
What does the report identify?
Tender activity — with indicative savings
2–3 categories presenting the largest opportunity based on spend and sample invoice review. Benefit from consolidation and go out to tender.
Further investigation needed — unknown savings
2–3 categories where spend is spread across multiple GL codes and isn't instantly visible, or needs a redesign of specification.
Quick wins and low-hanging fruit
Lower-level and transactional spend areas where admin and waste could be reduced, and that can benefit from our preferred supplier arrangements.
This is not a benchmark of your spend against other schools. Any savings identified are subject to market evaluation and any suggested redesign of services.
Project
Targeted work on the categories that matter most
£800/day (capped or retainer)
If you already know where the opportunities are — or have two or three target spend areas in mind — we go straight to work. A deep dive into a specific category: reviewing spend across GL codes, sampling invoices, and identifying the right procurement activity.
At a glance
- Typical engagement: 5–15 days depending on category complexity — most single-category projects fall between £4,000 and £12,000 in total
- Commit to a set number of days per term for a discounted rate
- Or use our project spec form for a fixed-cost engagement
- Optional implementation and project management support available
- Best when you already know which categories to target
How does a project work?
Spend investigation
We examine what you spend, where you spend it, and how it is structured across your supplier base.
Procurement proposal
We recommend the right activity — renegotiation with an incumbent, a specification redesign before tender, or a straightforward competitive tender with three or four new suppliers.
Fixed-cost option available
Complete our project spec form and we can provide a fixed cost covering the spend review, tender, and recommendation — with an optional implementation or project management fee.
Examples of project categories: home-to-school transport, office spend (printers, IT equipment, stationery, education materials), catering, facilities management.
Procurement On Demand
Fractional procurement — your team, when you need it
£800/day (capped or retainer)
A fractional procurement package charged at a day rate. Time can be set and capped by month or term, and used for any activity across your portfolio. Drawing on 25 years of procurement experience, activities are completed efficiently — and only time used is invoiced.
At a glance
- Retainer: minimum one year, seven days per term — typically £16,800–£33,600 per year depending on days committed
- On Demand: no minimum commitment — most schools use between 3 and 10 days per term
- No restriction on activity type — can be used for waste reduction or efficiency projects
- Retainer option includes onboarding time at no cost to your reserved days
- Day rate expenses (travel) excluded and agreed in advance
- Best when you have targeted spend areas or ongoing procurement needs
Two ways to structure your engagement
Option 1 — Retainer
Agree and commit to a set number of days on agreed activities and projects, capped at an agreed spend level per month or term. Invoiced at the beginning of each term. Includes time to understand your financial set-up and meet your teams — at no cost to your reserved days. Minimum commitment: one year, seven days per term. Unused time carries over at least once.
Option 2 — On Demand
Agree a set list of projects and deadlines. Invoiced monthly based on time spent, with timesheets submitted alongside the project plan. No minimum commitment — your needs can be adjusted up or down as projects are prioritised or contract renewals approach. No cap included as in Option 1.
Not sure which option fits your school?
Most engagements start with a straightforward conversation. Tell us where the pressure is and we'll suggest the most practical way to help. Jo leads and directs every engagement — supported by a network of experienced consultants where specific category expertise or additional capacity is needed.